The Calm Mind: Shodo Harada Roshi’s Introduction to Zen Meditation

Taigen Shodo Harada is a Japanese Rinzai Zen master, dharma successor to the renowned Mumon Yamada Roshi. He has been leading sesshin in the West since 1982 and since 1995 has been centered at the One Drop Zendo on Whidbey Island, in Washington State.

He is sometimes considered a teacher of teachers as Western Zen teachers in a variety of schools from Soto to the Harada Yasutani have all sat with him at one time or another.

This simple introduction gives a hint of the master’s style as well as the characteristic emphasis of the Rinzai school on breath in Zen meditation.

The instructions are given in Japanese with English subtitles. (If your computer doesn’t automatically provide the subtitles, push the “cc” button at the bottom of the clip to activate them.)